Transcript of "Dr Graham Roberts, Bologna Expert Team"

2.
Bologna Process
• Aims to create a European Higher Education
Area in which students, staff and graduates
can freely move to study, collaborate and find
employment in each others’ countries
• Creation of common European reference
points and tools to harmonise and modernise
national HE systems, structures and processes
• UK was an original signatory but Bologna has
never been high on the agenda of UK HEIs

4.
UK HE system
• Shares two key Bologna objectives:
– Promoting graduate employability
– Encouraging student mobility
• But not increasing the competitiveness of
European HE at the expense of the UK
• Nor promoting “the European dimension” by
developing “an awareness of shared values
and [of] belonging to a common social and
cultural space” – now quietly dropped!

11.
Recognition
• At the heart of the Bologna reforms
• Improving recognition a key challenge as
practices differ within and between HEIs
• “Ensuring recognition in practice as well as
theory is a sine qua non for the successful
functioning of the EHEA” (The European
Higher Education Area in 2012)

12.
2011 European Activity Survey
• Responses “indicate widespread acceptance of UK
qualifications in Europe”
• Increased percentage of HEIs which “were not aware of any
difficulties experienced by graduates of UK Bachelor and
Masters programmes”
• But UK included amongst nearly 30 countries where “some”
or “many” students had recognition problems (European
Students’ Union, 2009)
• Only two thirds of Erasmus students receive full recognition:
“Lack of recognition remains a major deterrent to going
abroad, for those aiming at academically meaningful
mobility” (Erasmus Student Network, 2009)

13.
Leuven goals (2009)
1. Completing the process of structural reform and ensuring that
the implementation of these reforms is accompanied by consistent
understanding and application of the Bologna tools.
2. Delivering a high quality educational experience, linked to
research and lifelong learning, one that promotes graduate
employability.
3. Addressing the social dimension by ensuring that the student
cohort entering and completing higher education truly reflects the
diversity of Europe's populations.
4. Ensuring that at least 20% of those graduating in the EHEA have
experienced a study or training period abroad.

14.
Why bother with Bologna?
1. The case for public investment in higher education as part of the solution to
Europe’s economic and financial problems through the education of creative,
innovative, critically thinking and responsible graduates.
2. Support for the development of the social dimension of higher education and
efforts to reduce inequalities and provide adequate student support services.
3. Promotion of student-centred learning, innovative teaching and a supportive
learning environment.
4. Promotion of the link between teaching, learning and research.
5. Support for the engagement of students and staff in the governance structures of
higher education institutions.
6. Commitment to autonomous and accountable higher education institutions that
embrace academic freedom.
Bucharest Communiqué 2012

15.
Some questions
1. How actively is your HEI engaging with the European
HE agenda?
2. Given the range and number of countries in the
EHEA, is there still such a thing as "the European
Dimension"?
3. Is the EHEA a threat or an opportunity for UK higher
education?